Forget cutting ties with Chris Young. Maybe he needs a raise.
After saying he was unaware his future may be in doubt with the Mets — with team officials telling The Post that though he wasn’t in danger of being released, he could see his playing time reduced when Juan Lagares is activated from the disabled list on Thursday — he went out and hit two home runs in the Mets 10-1 win over the A’s Tuesday night at Citi Field.
“Those decisions aren’t in your hands, so you stressing about it isn’t going to help the situation,” Young said.
Before the game, manager Terry Collins said he told Young he was “still a huge part of this moving forward. We’ve just got to get you going.”
That may have started with his second-inning blast off Scott Kazmir. He walked in the third and homered again in the fifth.
“He showed exactly why he’s here,” said Collins, admitting Young might have been in a desperate situation with Lagares set to come off the disabled list. “They come out fighting and he did that tonight.”
The Mets have been reluctant to cut Young and his $7.25 million salary, but his playing time figured to be in jeopardy with Lagares’ impending return. Lagares played another rehab game for Double-A Binghamton Tuesday.
Young said he had been unaware of potential changes to his playing time before hearing about it before the game and said it was a “little awkward” to talk about, but that’s what happens when it’s near the end of June, you’re coming off a dreadful season in Oakland have been significantly worse in 2014.
Dillon Gee pitched in his first rehab start since hitting the DL on May 11 with a strained right lat. Gee threw two scoreless innings for the rookie-level Gulf Coast Mets, giving up one hit and striking out two. … Taylor Teagarden was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left hamstring, retroactive to June 22 to make room for Travis d’Arnaud’s return.
RHP Noah Syndergaard and catcher Kevin Plawecki were named to the All-Star Futures Game. The 21-year-old Syndergaard is with Triple-A Las Vegas, while Plawecki, 23, was promoted to Las Vegas Tuesday.
First-base coach Tom Goodwin has been given time away from the team to deal with a personal family matter, the Mets said in a statement. Bob Geren will coach first base and Guy Conti, Mets senior advisor, will serve as the bench coach. … Lucas Duda didn’t start against lefty Scott Kazmir on Tuesday, but Collins didn’t rule out the possibility the first baseman could be in the lineup Wednesday when Oakland starts another left-hander, Brad Mills.
Zack Wheeler starts Wednesday for the first time since throwing the first shutout of his career in his previous outing against the Marlins.